Drape supporting clamp



July 17, 195 H- w. METZGER- DRAPE: SUPPORTING CLAMP Filed March 1, 1949 INVENTOR. HENDEUX W. METZGEQ BY irraa/z/zzr Patented July 17, 1951 UNITED -:s-T rEs PATENT OFFICE DRAPE SUPPORTING CLAMP Hendrix W. Metzger, Boonville, Ind. Application March 1, 1949, SerialNo. 78,932

2 Claims. (Cl. 160-348) This invention relates to a clamp for supporting drapes and the like. I It is an object of this invention .to provide a spring clamp for engagement with a curtain 'or drape supporting bracket for supporting a pleated drape from the bracket or curtain rod. The structure of the clamp is such that the pleated drape will be securely fastened on the clamp by the spring pressed jaws, thereby saving the drape from damage due to supporting hooks penetrating the fabric for-supporting the weight of the drape.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drape supporting clamp for use with drapes which are not formed with channels or looped hems along the upper marginal edge thereof through which the curtain rod is adapted to be engaged. With the use of drape supporting clamps formed according 'to an embodiment of this invention, the formation of tubular hems on the drape is not necessary for the support of the drape.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a drape clamp of this kind the use of which will save considerable time in the mounting of the drapes and will provide a support for ornaments along the upper edge of the drape.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out'in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a drape supported on a curtain rod by drape supporting clamps constructed according to an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is afragmentaryvertic'al section taken on theline 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure '3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section, line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to'the drawings, the numeral III designates generally a spring pressed :clamp forsupporting drapes or curtains on a curtain rod or bracket II. The clamp 'IIJfis particularly designed for supporting the drape in-a manner to preserve the folds thereof and to support the drapes on the curtain supporting rod or bracket II or separate rod normally used forsupporting drapes on the sides of windows and the like.

The clamp I is formed of a pair of confrontingjaw, members I2 and I4. The jaw members I 2 and I4 are. carried by a tubular clamping member. I for pressing the jaws, or extreme outer ends I6 and I1 respectively together. The jaw members I2 and I4 are carried by the split taken on the tubular member I 5 in a forwardly, or outwardly, convergent relation. The forward ends of the jaws I2 and I4 extend outwardly beyond the terminal ends of the tubular member I5, and the outer edge of each of the jaws I6 and I1 is formed with upwardly inclined, saw teeth I8.

A handle I9 is formed on the rear end of each of the jaw members I2 and I4, and extends'inwardly from the inner end of the tubular spring member I5. The handles I9 extend through openings 20 on the front side of the spring mem-" ber I5, the openings '20 being spaced apart and providing pivots for the jaw members I2 and HI.

Each of the handles I9 is formed with a rectangular opening 2| adjacent the front end thereof, forwardly of the front edge of the tubular member I5. The curtain rod II is adapted to be slidably engaged through the openings 2| for supporting the clamp III thereon.

The tubular member I5, being formed in the manner of a tube split along one side thereof normally presses the jaws I2 and I4 together at their outer end. The free ends of the tubular member I5 are adapted to engage the outer sur face of the jaw members I2 and I4 forwardly of the extreme end thereof, substantially midway along the length of the forward portions I6 and I 1.

An upwardly extending 'U-shaped arm 24 is fixed to or formed integral with the tubular member I5, and extends upwardly beyond the upper edge thereof. The U-shaped member 24 is adapted to engage over the extreme upper end of the jaws I2 and I4, and extends forwardly therefrom for securing adjacent clamping members together, or for securing ornamental-devices for,- wardly of the upper end of the drape. The U- shaped arm 24 includes an upwardly extending side arm 25 extending upwardly from the tubular member I5, from that portion of the tubular member between the openings 20 therein. A downwardly opening hook 26 is struck from the arm 25 for attaching the supporting clamp to -a second supporting rod or bracket, not shown in the drawings, which is ncrmallydisposed above the curtain rod I I, described herein. The bight portion 21 of the U-shaped arm 24 extends forwardly .from the upper end of the arm 25 and is adapted to engage over the upper end of the jaw members [2 and I 4, spaced upwardly above the extreme upper edge thereof. A depending side arm 28 extends downwardly from the forward :end of the bight portion 21, and is preferably formed with a decorative element 29 on the lower end thereof, the extreme lower end of i the arm 28 being formed with an opening .30

handles 19 and disposed in confronting relation;

one to the other. The hooks 32 and 34. are adapted to clamp the drape on the forward side of the supportin clamp. Another pointed hook.

the center portion of 35 is struck forwardly from the tubular member l above also adapted to penetrate a In the use and operation of the drape supporting clamp 10, a plurality of supporting clamps the arms I9 and is will be used for supporting the upper end of the drape to the supporting rod Or arm H. A flexible element, as the chain 36, will be secured between the forward ends of the arms 24 for loosely connecting adjacent clamping members together. The chain as also constitutes a portion of the design for decorating the upper marginal edge of the drapes. The drapes may be folded along the length thereof and the folds inserted between the clamping members or jaws. l2 and M. The teeth I8 on the forward end of the'clamping members l2 and M will penetrate the surface of the drapes for securing the drapes against sliding movement downwardly out of the jaw members 12 and 14. With the folds of the'drape clamped between the arms l2 and I4, otherfolds may be folded about the outer surface of the clamp l0 and secured in the hooks 3|, 34 and 35 as desired. With the use of clamping of this kind, it is not necessary to damage the upperedge of the drapes for securing them to the drape supporting rods H, and therefore the length of life of the drapes is extended, and the further handling of the drapes as in laundering and cleaning may be anticipated as the drapes are not damaged by their engagement with the clamping members [0. Further the use of the clamping members it provides for the speedy inmembers portion of the drape.

4 spaced relation with respect to each other and slidably supported on said curtain rod, each of said drape clamps comprising a pair of vertically disposed jaw members arranged-in confronting converging relation with the converging ends in contacting relation with each other, tube fabricated of resilient material disposed transversely of said jaw members intermediate the ends thereof and provided with a longitudinally extending slot, said tube being circumposed about said jaw members with the converging ends of the latter extending through said slot and the diverging ends thereof extending through an opposite portion of said tube to thereby resiliently mount said jaw members in said tube for movement out of contacting relation for theinsertion therebetween of a portion of said drape, an inverted U-shaped arm positioned above said tube having one leg fixedly I secured, to' the upper end of said tube and having the other end adapted to overlie said drape, and means extend. ing between adjacent ones, of said drape clamps for spacing thelatter at select points along said curtain rod and for interconnecting said clamps together. 4

2. A support for dependingly mountin adrapev comprising a horizontally disposed curtain rod adapted to be securedto a wall.surface,,a .plu;

. rality of drape clamps arranged in side by side stallation and removal of the drapes from the supporting rod l l, as the drapes may be adjusted vertically along the lengths of the clamps as' desired, without further modification of the drape or the supporting means therefor.

The drape clamp 10 is designed for use in sup-'5 portin drapes on curtain rods havin provision for sliding the drapes along'ithe lengths of the rods. Such rods are provided with openings or slots along the length thereof. In the use of the clamp In on such rods, the arm 24 is out off above the hook 26, the clamp I0 is turned upside down and the hooks 32 and 34, which are made to be used left or right, are engaged in the drape for holding the drape next to the window facing, between the rod H and the window. The hook 35 is slidably engaged in a lower rod for sliding and the hook 26 is engaged over' a rod above for supporting the clamp against tilting inwardly at the top. The drape is supported for sliding, asby draw cords or the like, along the length of the rods.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim allvariations falling within the purview of the appended claims. I claim:

1. A support for dependingly mounting adrape comprising a horizontally disposed curtain rod adapted to be secured to a wall surface, a plurality'of drape clamps arranged in side by side spaced relation with respect toeach other and slidably supported on said curtain rod, eachof said drape clamps comprising a pair of vertically disposed jaw members arranged in confronting converging relation with the converging ends-in contacting relation with each other, a tube fabricated of resilient material disposed transversely of said jaw members intermediate the ends thereof and provided with a-longitudinally extending slot, said tube being circumposed about said jaw members with the converging ends of the latter extending through said slot an d -the diverging ends thereof extending through arr-opposite portion of said tube to thereby resiliently; mount said jaw members in said tubefor move. ment out of contacting relation for the insertion therebetween of a portion of said drape, ansine verted U-shaped arm positioned-above said tube having one leg fixedly secured tothe upper end of said tube and having the other end adapted to overlie said drape, means extending between adjacent ones of said drape clamps for spacing the latter at select points along said curtainrod and for interconnecting said clamps together, and hook means carried by said tube for securing a portion of said drape about the peripheryof said tube. I HENDRIX W. METZGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in "th file of this patent: i

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,063,924 Hanko Dec. v1-5 1936 

